Montreux

Travel and Tourist Information

Montreux
is the best-known resort on Lac Léman, thanks to a
sunny climate, a lovely setting, and a busy schedule of cultural events and
conferences throughout the year.

The
town has long been popular with celebrity musicians and writers, including
Tchaikovski, Stravinski, Byron, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and--more
recently--Vladimir Nabokov, who spent the last two decades of his life at the
Montreux Palace
Hotel after his novel, Lolita, earned international success in the
mid-1950s.

Sightseeing and museums

The old town center and the lakefront are the main sightseeing
attractions within the city limits.

Start your tour at the Tourist Office (opposite the boat
landing), where you can pick up a map/guide to Montreux and Vevey. The leaflet
is titled "On the Track of Our Celebrity Guests," and its walking itinerary
includes such sights as the Place du Marché (a 19th
Century covered market), the Caux-Palace (a Belle Epoque castle turned Jewish
refugee camp turned hotel school), and the
Musée de Montreux near
the railroad station.

While you're at the Tourist Office,
inquire about the guided two-hour sightseeing tour of Montreux and Vevey.

Excursions from Montreux

No
visit to Montreux is complete without a side trip to the
Castle of Chillon. The Château de Chillon, which was immortalized in
Lord Byron's poem "The Prisoner of Chillon," is easy to reach by boat, bus, or
car. (Better yet, you can walk to the castle via the lakefront path.)

Hotels

The
grande dame of local hotels is
Fairmont Le Montreux
Palace, which was built in 1906. In its early years, the hotel was a magnet
for kings, tsars, maharajahs, musicians, and movie stars; it later served as a
hospital for wounded Allied soldiers in two World Wars. In more recent years,
the hotel has been featured in movies (The Magic Mountain, Kiss of the
Dragon) and has been the deluxe hotel of choice for performers at the
Montreux Jazz Festival.

The Casino Barrière
de Montreux offers a different style of
entertainment, along with a wine bar, a cocktail lounge, and three restaurants.

Transportation

Montreux
is on the main railway line that runs from Geneva to Lausanne and the
Simplon Tunnel. Plan your trip with the Swiss Federal Railways
electronic timetable. Another transportation option is the No. 1 bus from Vevey
or Villaneuve.